On campus

Jatinder given chance to be a radio star

Gateshead College student Jatinder Dhillon, 25, has been offered the full-time placement at Metro Radio, one of the largest radio stations in the North East.

Jatinder worked at the station as part of his Level 3 Commercial Radio course, which is run by the college in partnership with Metro.

During his time there he recorded and edited a drama production, pitched his business ideas to radio bosses and gained a sharp insight into the operations of a busy media office.

His internship will see him carry out a wide range of activities including the management of the Metro Radio and TFM website and social media platforms, designing web adverts, organising PR photography and editing client videos.

Jatinder said: “I’m thrilled to have been given the opportunity to work at Metro Radio, which has given me a real understanding of how a radio business works.

“The internship will allow me to gain useful practical skills and take the first steps towards a career in a recognised industry.

“The Level 3 Commercial Radio course is great because it combines theory with industry experience and allows me to work towards a recognised qualification while gaining valuable work experience.”

Kevin Smith, head of group for creative and cultural industries at Gateshead College, said: “Dhillon is exactly the type of person who we want on our course.

“He is bright, motivated and enthusiastic and he contributes lots of good ideas.

“We have forged many productive relationships with North East businesses across several sectors in a bid to equip students with the skills needed by employers. Our partnership with Metro Radio is a good example of this.”

The only course of its type in the region, the programme covers a variety of key topics including presenting and interviewing, marketing and promotions and internet broadcasting. Students are then given the opportunity to hone their practical skills and spend time working as part of the Metro team.

Metro bosses were impressed with the quality of the students on the course and in particular Jatinder’s creative ability and dedicated work ethic.

Dominic Munnelly, regional marketing director at Metro Radio, said: “We have been delighted with Dhillon’s contribution and attitude and that’s why we offered him the internship.

“He is a capable student and has the potential to go far in an industry which offers a wide range of exciting careers.

“Radio is not just about the presenters; a whole team of people are required from station directors, marketers, sound engineers, promotional staff and sales executives, programmers and producers.

“By teaming up with Gateshead College we have been able to access a talented pool of individuals like Dhillon who could be a real asset to us in the future.”

The Commercial Radio course is one of many employer engagement initiatives launched by the college, which recently hosted the judging of a pie design competition run by South Shields pork butchers Dicksons to educate schoolchildren on food production. The college also organised a dedicated jobs fair at its Action for Health conference to allow employers to tap into a skilled pool of talent, which included past and current students from the college.